Airship.



- 01. A. KUENZEL.

AIRSHIP. I APPLIUATION FILED APR.21,19101 Patented 0013,1911.

5 SHEETS-$31231 1.

WITNESSES 1%? (1. A. 'KUENZEL AIRSHIP. APPLICATION IILBI) APB.21,1910.

4 Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

6 BEEETS-SHEET 3.

G. A. KUENZEL AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION .IILBD APR. 21,1910. 1,004,662; 7 Patented 0ct.3, 1911.

6 SHEETBSHEET 4.

0.11. KUENZEL.

. AIRSHIP. I APPLICATION FILED APRfZl, 1910.

1,04 6%, Patented 0013,1911.

- ES PATENT. OFFICE.

1&94562 Specification of {Letters Patent. Patented 1 ,13, 1911, p*Applieation filed April 21, 1910. Serial No. 556,798.

c "To all whom it may concern: with the main balloon in the middle andone ..Be it known that I, CHARLES A. KUENZEL, auxiliary' balloon infront and the other to 'awcitizen-of the United States, residing at therear of the main balloon. Metallic Buena Vista, in' the county ofChalice, State bands 5'encircle the balloons at the poinls of 60 5 ofColorado, have invented a new and use- :their greatest diameter, andthebands of the ful Airship, of which the following is a auxiliaryballoons are secured at their outer specification. sides to the ends ofa curved yoke 6, gen y invention consists of a dirigible balerallyconforming to the outlines of the tops loon or air-ship constructed tobe capable of .of the balloons,'and the central arch of the 5 10movement in the air and on water. yoke has its ends secured to theopposite It furtherconsists'in improved construcpoints of the band ofthe main balloon. tibia and arrangement of the supporting bal-, Uponreference to Fig. 1 it will be noted loens.

thatthe band 5 has attached thereto in any it also consists of 'improvedmeans for suitable manner at diametrically opposed-7o controlling" theelevation or depression of the ipoints rings or eyes 5 to which thecentral air-ship. p k :arch of the yoke 6 is attached by suitable 2 Itfurther consists of improved means for means as bolts 6, provided upontheir outer propelling the ship'.. ends with nuts 6". By this ineans thelarge It also consists-of improved means for. and auxiliary balloons areretained in tan- 0 steering and directing the ship while in dem' yetprovision is made for any necessary motion; y movement of the partsrelatively, to each It furthermore consists of additional other toprevent twisting or bending or dismeagds fer'controlling the directionof travel tortion to such extent as to injure thebalof the ship. I;loons or their connections. It is tobenot'ed 25 It also consists ofimproved details of that this connection between the central arch iconstruction and arrangement of the several of the" yoke and the band 5of the fcentral instrumentalities for propelling and controlballoon 2 isin addition to and independent ling the ship. of the straps 7 now to bedescribed, said c011- For the purpose of explaining the invennectionbeing somewhat flexible and yielding 3Q tion, the accompanying drawings"illustrate jso as to avoid dead strain on the band of the asatisfactory reduction ofthe same to, prac- {central bag should the sidebags tend to turn tice, but the important instrum'entalities' ortwist'the yokes 6 as they are subjected to thereof may be -varied, andso it is to be currents of air independent of the centralunderstood-that the invention is not limited bag. Q l 35 to the specificarrangement and organiza- Straps 7 are seouredat their lower'endstionfshown and described to the/inner sides of the bands o f -'the aux- Q'Figure 1- represents a side elevation of my iliary "balloons and attheir upper-lends to improved'air-ship. Fig. 2 represents a 1011- theband of the main balloon and to the yoke g 'itudinal vertical section ofthe bull or body forming links, so that the tandem ali'nement 9. 4o oftheair-ship. F 3 represents a lon iof the balloons is thus maintained bythe tudinal horizontal sectionof the hull. Fig. yoke and the bands!Bolts 8 are secured in a rcpresentsa top plan view of the deck of theyoke and into the tops of the balloons thefihi'ill' 'with parts of thedeck broken away and have ropes 9 attached to them which pass andremoved. Fig. 5 represents a vertical axially thrt-ugh the threeballoons and have 45 section of one of the propelling wheels. theirlower ends secured to bolts 10, in the Fig. 6 represents a side view ofthe stern lower ends of the same, suitable reinforcerudder. Fig. 7represents a transverse verment belng provided at-the polnts ofattachtical section of the same. ment of the bolts to form tight jointsand to Similar numerals of reference indicate firmly secure the balloonsupon the bolts. 50 corresponding parts in the figures. The lower boltsare secured to the tops of Referring to the drawingszl designates archedframes 11, the ends of which are sea boatishaped bull or body which issupcured to an oblong frame 12, fr0m.which three preferably pear-shapedbalthe hull or body is supported by suitable 'i-toons or properly gasbags, one large main rods 13, ropes or similar suspension means. winlloon :2 and two. auxiliary balloons 3 aid Relief valves 14" areprovided in the domed 4,crfsuitablematerial andarranged'tandem tops ofthe-balloons t'oadl'n'it of the 'ga's is tubes connected to them forcharging the auxiliary balloons with gas. At or about at a level withthese charging couplings are connected two pipes 19 to opposite sides ofthe main balloon and to the inner sides of the auxiliary balloons,whichpipes have suitably controlled valves 20, one at each end, and theinteriors of the main balloon and auxiliary balloons are thus connected,so that gas charged into the latter may flow into the former and the gaspressure in all three balloons will be equalized.

The hull or body of the air-ship is preferably built on the lines ofthe' hull of a vessel, so as to be able to float and be propelled onwater, and said hull has a deck 21, surrounded by a rail 22 supported bystanchions 23, 'from-which deck the Various c0ntrolling and directingmeans are preferably operated.

Below the deck the hull is preferably partitioned into berth cabin 24,and mess and engine room 25, crime more or less extensive subdivisionsaccording to the capacity of the hull or the requirements for the ship.An engine 26,,preferably. of the internal combustion type andemployingliquid fuel, such as gasolene, is mounted in the engine rooms andconnected to drive a crank-shaft 27, transversely journaled' upon thebed frame of the engine. The crank-shaft has a fly-wheel 28 and suitableconnections to pumps and valve mechanism of the engine, all of whichform no specific part of my present invention. I

The crank-shaft has two cog-wheels 29 which mesh with cog-wheels 30,loose upon two transverse and alined shafts3l, the

their outer ends and to one brace-ring of the;

outer ends of which project through and are journaled in the sides ofthe hull and have cogrwheels 32 secured upon their outer ends. Suitableclutches'33 actuated by levers 34 or similar means, slide upon .andrevolve with these shaft-sections 31, and engage correspondingclutch-portions upon the loose cog-wheel's 30, so that saidshaft-sections maybe individually or jointly revolved fromtheengine-shaft. One of theloose cog-wheels has a bevel gear-wheel 35,secured to its inner side, and said gearrmay mesh with bevel gears 36and 37, respectively, sliding upon and revolving with the inner ends. oftwo axially alined vertical shafts 38 and 39, journaled in suitablebearings and respectively projecting through the deck and the keel ofthe hull and respectively carrying upon their outerv ends propellers orhelicopters 4:0 and 41, one a distance above the deck and-the otherbelow the keel.

A curved guard 42. is secured to the keel to protect the lowerhelicopter from injury in landing the air-ship upon the ground, or whengetting in shoal water when the ship is floated in water. The bevelgears of the helicopter shafts are moved into and out of engagement withthe driving gear by siiit able levers 43 and 4 or other suitable means.y

Two. propelling or paddle-wheels 4t5 are journaled upon the ends of atransverse stationary shaft 46, or upon two stationary stub-shafts, andeach of said wheels has two hub sections 47, revolving upon theshaftends and'each having radiating spokes .48, to the middle of whichare secured bracerings 49, and to the ends of which .are secured rims50. The two sections of each wheel are spaced apart and secured togetherby spacing bolts 51, having their ends.secured 'inthe brace-rings and inthe rims. A cog-wheel 52 is secured upon the inner side of each wheeland meshes with the cog-wheel 32 upon the driven shaft-section 31, sothat the paddle wheels may be revolved from said shaft-sections. r

A- cam 53 is secured upon the wheel-shaft between the inner ends of thehub-sections and has -a bulge 54 extending over about one third of theperiphery of the cam and' about two thirds of the periphery concentricwith the shaft, Blades or vanes 55 are pivoted at the middles of theirside-edges bethe present case between four pairs of spokes, and saidvanes have ears 56, to which ears 57, upon radially movable bars or rods58 are pivoted, so that the vanes may be tilted to stand at right anglesto their pair of supporting spokes when the bar is tween pairs of thespokes of the wheel, in

moved inward and in, a plane with said spokes when the bar is movedoutward.

Springs 59 are secured to the bars near.

wheelto draw the bars radially inward, and rollers 60, are journaledin'the inner ends of the bars and bear against the periphery of the cam,the bulge of which acts upon the rollers and bars against the inwardpull'of the springs. The cam is so adjusted upon faces in this positionuntil they have passed secured to its lower end piece." Vanes 66 arepivoted at the of the hull in the usual or any preferred manner, uponpintles 62 and 'said rudder consists gt a' rectangular frame 63, havinga yoke 64; transversely secured to its upper end-piece and a smalleryoke 65 transversely middles of their Sideedges in the verticalside-pieces of the rudder-frame, in the same manner as the vanes of thepropeller wheels, and these vanes have ears 67, to which ears 68, upon abar 69, are pivotally connected, so that the vanes lnay'ioe setvertically or horizontally by moving the bar down or up.

A spring 70 has one end secured to the bar and the other end to theupper yoke, to

' upper yoke, down and 40 normally draw thebar upward to tilt thevanesinto horizontal position at right angles to the plane of therudder. The rudder is actuated by means of two tiller cords or ropes 71,suitably disposed of in 'the hull or upon the deck of the same, andpassing down through openings in the ends of the through openings in theends ofthe lower yoke and again up through an opening 72 in the yoke,whence they pass to an eye 73' or other fastening means, upon the bar,to which theirends are secured.

It will thus be clear that a pullupon either of the tiller ropes willpull the bar down and vertically tilt the vanes, so that the rudder willoffer a solid surface to the medium through which the hull travelsWhenever it is swung to either side to guide the hull, while the vaneswill resume their horizontal position and offer no resistance iii theiredgewise movement through the air or water when'the pull upon the tillerrope or ropes is released.

For the purpose of'insuring perfect horizontal steerage of the ship andparticularly when the latter is propelled through the air, one or moresteering sails or planes 7% are vertically pivoted on each side of thehull and preferably at or near the'bow. planes have pintles 7 5 whichare pivoted in brackets 7 6 upon the sides of the hull. lVhile theplanes may be formed from integral boards or plates, the planes heredisclosed vanes of the ropelling.

Said.

are constructed with rectangular frames 77 same with their outer endsand slide in guides 81, on the deck of the hull, clamping screws 82 orsimilar locking means being provided for securing the rods andmaintaining the planes in their adjusted position. It will beevident-that when one or more of the planes are swung outward on oneside of the hull, the. resistance from the same will direct the air-shiptoward that side.

In practice, the inflating gas for the balloons is admitted to theauxiliary balloons through the valves 17, {and thence the gas flowsthrough the connecting pipes into the main balloon, so that thegas-pressure within all of the balloons is equalized. The capacity ofthe balloons is adjusted to their required lifting capacity. I providethe horizontal propellers or helicopters above and below the hull, sothat by revolving the upper helicopter, the lifting power of theballoons will be assisted'without discharge of ballast from the ship,and by revolving the lower helicopter the ship may be lowered againstthelifting power of the balloons without discharging and Ifwasting gas fromthe balloons. The feathering propelling wheels or paddle Wheels willpropel the ship through the air when raised by the balloons, and throughwater, when the hull is floating upon water, and the vanes in said wheelwill only meet with resistance of the supporting medium at the pointswhere they will elfect propulsion, being feathered and only presentingtheir edges during the remainder of their revolution.

The feathering vanes of the rudder admit of the same returning from anyoperative position to which it has been moved by pulling upon a tillerrope, without resistance .to such return, as the vanes in the rudderonly present their edges in such return movement. Absolute promptnessand certainty of steerage' are attained by the steering planes on thesides of the hull. All cont-rolling devices for .the propelling verticaladjustment and horizontal steel-age of the ship are within convenientaccess on deck and in the engine room, so that the ship may bemanipulated by a minimum of crew.-

The ship is capable of use and propulsion in the air and on water, andthe same propelling and steering means employed for aerial navigationperform the same function on the water. I

As each propeller wheel has an independ-- ent and controllableconnection, by means of the clutches and their levers, in the presentinstance, horizontal steering of the ship may also be performed byindividual manipulationof such Wheels, and the ship may be turned on acomparatively short radius curve by revolving one Wheel and eitherstopping or backing the other.

Tanks or receptacles for oxygen'for use in high altitudes, fuel for theengine, and other supplies may be suitably disposed in the hull.

By preference all parts of the ship and engine are made of aluminum, toinsure the least possible Weight of the ship and consequent greatestpossible carrying capacity proportionate to the cubic dimensions andcapacity of the gas bags or balloons.

vHaving thus described my invention, what,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. In anairship, a plurality of gas bags arranged side by side, a yoke abovesaid bags, bands adapted to encircle said bags, means for securing saidbags with said yoke at the top of each bag and at the terminals of saidyoke, straps connected with the bands of the outside bags and extendingupward to the band of the intermediate bag, and means yieldingly andfirmly connecting the band of the intermediate bag Within the sides ofsaid yoke.

2. In an airship, a large main balloon, two smaller auxiliary balloonsarranged at opposite sides of said main balloon, bands around saidballoons, a yoke attached to the tops of said balloons, and havingitsends secured to the outer sides of the bands of the auxiliaryballoons, bolts on said yoke and rings on the band of the main balloon,said rings being connected with said bolts forming a flexible but firmconnection for the band of the central balloon With the side of saidyoke.

CHARLES A. KUENZEL.

lVitnesses: WM. H. HEOKLER,

CHAs. HERRLE.

